Abstract: A method and apparatus for multi-media communication includes transmitting a first session invite request (300) having a plurality of first call transaction identifiers (302), wherein each of the first call transaction identifiers (302) has a first call transaction value (303). Thereupon, the method and apparatus engages in a first communication session using the first session invite request (300). Concurrently, a second session invite request (400), having a plurality of second call transaction identifiers (402) having a second call transaction value (403), is also transmitted. A determination is made if the second session invite request (400) is duplicative by comparing the first and second call transaction values (303, 403) of the first and second call transaction identifiers (302, 402). A second communication session is engaged if the second session invite request (400) is not duplicative such that the first communication session and the second communication session create a multi-media session.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of optimizing calls set up in a private telecommunication network including two subnetworks using the QSIG protocol and the Session Initialization Protocol, respectively, when a first terminal belonging to the subnetwork using the SIP requests the setting up of a call with a server associated with a first switch belonging to the subnetwork using the QSIG protocol and the call must be transferred to a second terminal belonging to the subnetwork using the SIP. The two subnetworks are connected by a QSIG/SIP gateway associated with a second switch of the subnetwork using the QSIG protocol. The method conventionally sets up a first call between the first terminal and the first switch and a second call between the first switch and the second terminal and then joins the two calls in the first switch so that the first and second terminals communicate via the gateway, the first switch, and the second switch.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, a network management unit for assigning virtual addresses (e.g. IP addresses) and a network temnination unit for determining virtual addresses(e.g. IP addresses) of a terminal unit (EAO) that is connected by means of a terminal connection (S0-0) and a subscriber-side network termination unit (IAD) of a virtual network (e. g. an IP network) (IP-NET). A network management unit (BOOTP-S) transmits a second identifier (d:e:0) assigned to the terminal connection (S0-0) togethcr with virtual addresses (x.x.x) of the network termination unit (IAD) in order to assign virtual addresses of the network termination unit (IAD) in response to its address request messages. A virtual address (y.y.0) requested with said second identifier (d:e:0) is used as virtual address of the terminal unit (EA0).

Abstract: A method for improving a link schedule used in a communications network is disclosed. While the method applies generally to networks that operate on a scheduled communications basis, it is described in the context of a Foundation FIELDBUS. The method includes: scheduling sequences and their associated publications according to their relative priority, per application; minimizing delays between certain function blocks, and between certain function blocks and publications; and grouping certain publications. Accordingly, advantages such as latency reduction, schedule length reduction, and improved communications capacity are gained.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, configurable transmit and receive system interfaces are proved for a network device.

Abstract: A scheme for implementing GFR service in an ATM environment, e.g., an access node's ATM switch fabric. Regulation of a GFR flow is throttled between two modes, a guaranteed rate mode and a non-guaranteed rate mode, depending upon timestamps computed by applicable traffic policer/shaper algorithms. A scheduler is operably coupled to a policing block for scheduling cells from a guaranteed flow queue for transport via the ATM fabric at a guaranteed rate upon determining the onset of a guaranteed service frame. The scheduler switches to non-guaranteed rate mode for scheduling cells from the flow queue at a non-guaranteed rate when a timestamp (TSNGF) for transmission at the non-guaranteed rate is earlier than a timestamp (TSGF) for transmission of a next guaranteed service frame at the guaranteed rate.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for shaping ATM cell traffic emitted onto a virtual path connection in an ATM network are described. Component virtual channel connections are arbitrated at an aggregation point utilizing an arbitration technique. The technique provides both virtual path shaping and controllability of underlying virtual channel connections with an improved fairness performance amongst all the aggregating virtual channel connections.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting communication requirements in a network and placing nodes in various stages of activity where conditions allow. The system and method provides an algorithm to detect changes in node activity levels and alter operations, such as update transmissions and route selections, based upon changes detected. In particular, the algorithm determines activity level at a node at each routing update interval based on factors such as a number of new destinations the node can reach, a number of route modifications that the node can implement, a number of routes from the node whose lengths have changed and a number of destinations the node can no longer reach. The node can then increase or decrease the rate that it exchanges its routing information with neighboring nodes based on an increase or decrease in this activity level.

Abstract: A hierarchical scheduler architecture for use with an access node terminal disposed in an access network portion. Ingress flows aggregated via a plurality of aggregation layers are switched through an ATM fabric that segregates flow cells based on service priority categories (planes). Thus, a two-dimensional scheduler employs arbitration on a per-aggregation layer, per-service priority basis, wherein each layer is responsible for selecting the most eligible flow from the constituent flows of that layer, which is forwarded to the next layer for arbitration. A service-based arbiter selects overall winner cells for emission through the fabric from winner cells generated for each service plane.

Abstract: A traffic concentrator (40) aggregates traffic in a radio access network. The traffic concentrator comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switch (42) and a control node (44) associated with the ATM switch. The Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switch which performs a switching operation for switching unspecified bit rate (UBR) virtual channels (VCs) carrying user traffic between plural virtual paths (VPs). The user traffic is transported as ATM Adaptation Layer 2 (AAL2) connections over the unspecified bit rate (UBR) virtual channels (VCs). The control node is arranged to process AAL2 signaling messages which concern the AAL2 connections included in the VCs for which the ATM switch performs the switching operation. The AAL2 signaling messages are carried in virtual channels which do not carry the user traffic and which are either originated or terminated at the control node. In one example implementation, the traffic concentrator aggregates traffic of plural base stations of the radio access network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for interfacing an asynchronous network with a synchronous network and in particular for efficiently utilizing available bandwidth of a synchronous network transmit opportunity. In one embodiment asynchronous traffic arrives via an asynchronous network at a network device, such as a switch, for transmission over a synchronous network. The traffic is parsed into cells and after switching, a reassembly unit is provided for processing one or more cells buckets. Write operations occur based on an ingress pointer while read operations are controlled by an egress pointer. Upon occurrence of a transmit opportunity on the synchronous network, the entire bandwidth of the transmit opportunity is utilized by loading awaiting cells from bucket memory on to the synchronous network. Sufficient cells are stored in memory between the memory locations identified by the ingress pointer and the egress pointer to insure total utilization of transmit opportunity bandwidth.

Abstract: A method of activating an information communication function by a remote device that can be connected to the Internet and to a telecommunication network including activating the remote device by a local or remote event; connecting the remote device to an Internet access provider in response to the activation; reading a temporary IP address assigned by the access provider during the connection step, and either a) transmitting the temporary IP address to an Internet terminal or a data processing system, and reading WEB pages stored locally by the remote device by the Internet terminal or by the data processing system, or b) directly transmitting data by outgoing and/or incoming electronic mail between the remote device and an Internet terminal or a data processing system without prior transmission of the temporary IP address.

Abstract: A system and method permits the creation of very-large metropolitan area networks (MANs) using Layer 2 (L2) switching technology. Different groups of L2 switches are logically organized into Islands. Connected to each Island are a plurality of customers sites, and an interconnect fabric couples the Islands together. The Islands cooperate to provide a Virtual Ethernet Connection (VEC) to each set of customer sites being coupled together. Customers identify their traffic that corresponds to a VEC by labeling or tagging it with a Customer-Equipment VLAN Identifier (CE-VLAN ID). Within each Island, the CE-VLAN ID specified by the customer's traffic (and hence the corresponding VEC) is mapped to a unique MAN Provider-Equipment VLAN ID (PE-VLAN ID). To prevent the formation of loops, the Islands run the Inter-MAN Control Protocol (IMCP), which represents a modified version of the Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP).

Abstract: A generalized Layer-2 virtual private network arrangement and method is disclosed for layer-2 and/or layer-1 VPNs. The generalized Layer-2 VPN includes mechanisms which provide simplified provisioning and a degree of customer autonomy regarding establishing pseudo-wire connections without the assistance of the service provider across the service provider's network. The generalized Layer-2 VPN is particularly useful for overcoming the need for customers to be restricted to a particular transport or technology used within the provider network.

Abstract: A method for configuring enterprise gateways includes determining an enterprise internet protocol (IP) address that identifies the interface of an enterprise gateway. The interface couples to one or more components of an enterprise network. An enterprise domain name associated with the enterprise network is determined. An address for a border gateway within an operator network is determined. The operator network links the enterprise gateway to the one or more mobile nodes. A configuration request is communicated to the border gateway. The configuration request includes the enterprise domain name. Operator configuration information is received from the border gateway. The operator configuration information includes an access point name assigned to the enterprise network and for use by the mobile nodes to request access to the enterprise network.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing direct trunking between a TDM switch and an ATM backbone network are described. The apparatus is an interface adapted to convert pulse code modulated data to ATM cells and vice versa. The interface is adapted to emulate a trunk peripheral of the TDM switch by communicating with a computing module of the switch using a messaging protocol native to the computing module. The interface may therefore be connected to the TDM switch without any modification of the computing module. The interface is connected directly to a serial link of a fabric interface of the TDM switch. The advantages include a reduction in the capital investment in equipment required to connect a TDM switch to an ATM backbone network and a reduced footprint for the equipment.

Abstract: Network protocol for efficient distributed control. A packet used to implement an embodiment of the invention includes a routing control list, routing control data, and a data field. The routing control list identifies a node responsible for passing the packet. The routing control data identifies a first communication media to be used to pass the packet to the identified node and a second communication media to be used to pass the packet from the identified node. The data field contains electronic data being transmitted by the packet.

Abstract: When voice over Internet Protocol (IP) capabilities are added to a conventional network of voice switches, an IP network is normally used to replace individual trunks between voice switches and to replace telephone lines between telephones and their serving voice switches. As a result, calls across the upgraded network often pass across a series of IP hops. This invention addresses the problem of replacing a series of IP hops by a single hop, to avoid degradation of end-to-end voice quality due to repeated packetization/depacketization sequences and associated functions such as compression/decompression.

Abstract: A telecommunication router (TLK, RTS) connected to a termination link (TL) and comprising a packet classifier (CL) receiving packets of data from the link and classifying them according to their type and an associated priority, a plurality of queues (P0-P3) storing the packets received from the classifier, and a processor (PROC) handling the packets stored in the queues. Each queue is associated to a predetermined priority and the classifier forwards each packet to the queue corresponding to its priority. The processor retrieves the packets from the queues according to predetermined priority rules. The packets are treated based on the current load of the processor and, owing to the buffering in the queues, the processing power is used as much as possible and a maximum of packets is processed as a function of the available processing power.

Abstract: A system including sub-networks mounted with different kinds of protocols/profiles, a gate way/proxy for connecting the sub-networks, a gate way/proxy for connecting the sub-networks, and nodes on the sub-networks, the gateway/proxy being mounted with processing of a physical layer and a data link layer as a protocol of the sub-network and processing of a physical layer and a data link layer as a protocol of the sub-network and having a common transport layer and a service proxy and a client proxy shared by the sub-networks.

Abstract: A method and system for selecting one of plural storage buses to communicate with a storage information handling system having a single storage data port uses data storage signals of the buses to switch a multiplexing device that selects a bus that is sending a valid data storage signal. A bus selector interfaces a multiplexing device with the single port and interfaces first and second buses with the multiplexing device. A signal detector monitors the first and second buses to detect data storage signals, such as an establish port command, associated with a bus and directs the multiplexing device to enable an interface of the first bus with the single port. Redundancy is provided by allowing plural buses to selectively communicate with the single data port.

Abstract: A system maps network messages between a customer Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) domain and a provider VLAN domain. Specifically, one or more ports of an intermediate network device includes frame mapping logic and may further include a plurality of highly flexible, programmable mapping tables. In accordance with the invention, a received frame associated with a customer VLAN is mapped to a provider VLAN that is selected as a function of the frame's customer VLAN and the particular port on which the frame is received. The frame may also be mapped to a provider CoS value that is selected as a function of the frame's customer CoS value, customer VLAN and the port on which the frame is received. The provider VLAN designation and provider CoS value may be appended to the frame. Forwarding decisions within the provider domain are based, at least in part, on the frame's provider VLAN designation and provider CoS value.

Abstract: A method signals the transport block size in wireless communications. First, information including a first information indicating a transport block size, the first information indicating a transport block size being a set number of bits, is transmitted. Then, a packet using the transport block size indicated by the first information is transmitted. The packet is retransmitted using a second information indicating a transport block size, the second information indicating a transport block size being a set number of bits, wherein if the second information indicates an invalid transport block size, the transport block size indicated by the first information is used in the retransmission.

Abstract: A cross-point switch fabric slice (100) includes multistage gated buffer tree (135) incorporating at least first and second serially connected gated buffer stages (136, 138). N inputs (102-116) connect to preselected gated buffers (146-160) in the first gated buffer stage (136). The multistage gated buffer tree provides a signal path from any of the N inputs (102-116) to at least one switch output (118) in response to gated buffer stage control signals for the first gated buffer stage (136) and gated buffer stage control signals for the second gated buffer stage (138). Generally, the number of gated buffers decreases from that of the previous stage. As an input signal propagates through the cross-point switch fabric slice (100), longer internal connections are driven by more capable buffers.

Abstract: An object-oriented system for managing multiple media types in a communication center environment has a multimedia queuing system, a processor for processing events in the queue, an interaction server for selecting media type or event types, a resource manager for reporting availability of a resource access point, and a data store for storing client information about media types available to the client and historical information about success of past use of those media types. In a preferred application, the system processes and routes incoming events of known media type to access points defined as systems or agents based in part on media channel availability of the access point, and wherein the system selects a media channel or channels for certain events in queue that are not pre-dedicated as specific media type events but are generated outbound or internal proactive contact events.

Abstract: Packets having at least one cell are switched using input queues, output queues, a switch fabric, and a controller. Each input queue stores cells to be switched, and each output queue stores switched cells. The switch fabric couples the input queues to the output queues and has memory. The switch fabric stores cells moved from the input queues to the switch fabric and stores cells based on the output queues. The controller couples to the input queues and the switch fabric and determines input priorities for cells moving from the input queues to the switch fabric and output priorities for cells moving from the switch fabric to the output queues.

Abstract: A system and method of transmitting data frames between a plurality of input ports to a plurality of output ports is described. The input ports segment portions of the received data frames to provide smaller data cells which are individually transmitted to an output port associated with a destination of the segmented data frame. Based upon information provided in the data cells received at the output port, the output port determines the ordinal positions of the received data cells within the segmented data frame and reassembles the data frame which was segmented at the input port. The output port then forwards the reassembled frame toward the associated destination.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for switching Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop Systems is provided between a plurality of Fibre Channel Loop devices. In one aspect of the invention, the system switches based at least in part on arbitrated loop primitives. An exemplary interconnect system may include a first port and a second port, both including port logic to monitor certain arbitrated loop primitives, a connectivity apparatus, a route determination apparatus including a routing table consisting of ALPA addresses and their associated ports, the route determination apparatus coupled to each port and the connectivity apparatus, where the connectivity apparatus creates paths between the ports based on arbitrated loop primitives. In one embodiment, the connectivity apparatus is a crossbar switch. Examples of the arbitrated loop primitives that cause the switch to create paths between ports includes one or more of the following: ARB, OPN and CLS.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for switching Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop Systems is provided between a plurality of Fibre Channel Loop devices. In one aspect of the invention, the system switches based at least in part on arbitrated loop primitives. An exemplary interconnect system may include a first port and a second port, both including port logic to monitor certain arbitrated loop primitives, a connectivity apparatus, a route determination apparatus including a routing table consisting of ALPA addresses and their associated ports, the route determination apparatus coupled to each port and the connectivity apparatus, where the connectivity apparatus creates paths between the ports based on arbitrated loop primitives. In one embodiment, the connectivity apparatus is a crossbar switch. Examples of the arbitrated loop primitives that cause the switch to create paths between ports includes one or more of the following: ARB, OPN and CLS.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, an ISDN subscriber card includes an HDLC controller (4) which is used to concentrate Internet frames so as not to occupy a telephone circuit for each call to an Internet service provider. Application to ISDN telephone exchanges.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, an ISDN subscriber card includes an HDLC controller (4) which is used to concentrate Internet frames so as not to occupy a telephone circuit for each call to an Internet service provider. Application to ISDN telephone exchanges.

Abstract: A router apparatus in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention is provided. In one embodiment, routing information of a first unit is mirrored to a second unit in real time, wherein at least one of the first unit and the second unit comprises at least one switching unit for transferring the routing information from the first unit to the second unit, eliminating use of a PCI-to-PCI board to complete transferring the routing information. When the routing information is stored in a first memory of a first switching unit, and the first switching unit transfers the information to the second unit. A second switching unit receives the routing information from the first switching unit and stores the routing information in a second memory of the second unit.

Abstract: In a method for recognizing stations in a home network of an OFDM scheme and a method for establishing a link between stations in a home network having a plurality of stations, a node number is assigned to the each station and subchannels corresponding to each node number are assigned to each station, the starting station constructing tones corresponding to the subchannels assigned to its own node number and the node number of the destination station as single OFDM symbol, and placing the OFDM symbol in a frame for transmission, and stations other than the starting station detecting the tones from the frame, recovering the node number using indices of the subchannels obtained from the tones and recognizing the starting station and the destination station.

Abstract: The invention relates to a network element (23) for a radio access network (22) of a cellular network supporting the transmission of multicast and broadcast multimedia services via a radio interface Uu to user equipment (25), which network element (23) comprises radio interface protocols associated to different protocol layers including a data link layer (layer 2). In order to enable such transmissions, it is proposed that the data link layer comprises a dedicated multicast broadcast multimedia control sublayer (L2/MBMC) for a multicast broadcast multimedia control protocol (MBMC). The MBMC is to adapt multicast and broadcast multimedia services, originating from a core network of said cellular network, for transmission in the radio interface Uu. The invention equally relates to a corresponding radio access network, to a corresponding cellular network, to a corresponding user equipment, to a corresponding radio access based communication system, and to a corresponding method.

Abstract: Method for transmitting data within a communication system, the communication system comprising a communication media and a number of nodes connected to the communication media, the data being transmitted across the communication media within a communication cycle comprising a number of time slots assigned to one or more nodes of the communication system. In order to provide a possibility for a data transmission within communication cycles, which can satisfy the demands in communication systems for safety critical applications, too, it is suggested, that the communication cycle is initiated by an external event. The external event can be caused by manually setting a bit by a host, by a configurable timer in a controller host interface (CHI) or by an external trigger.

Abstract: A private branch exchange changes the load distribution according to the use condition by a main control unit and a sub-control unit. A line card comprises a first module group normally carrying out various operations in response to an instruction of the sub-control unit, a second module group carrying out various operations in response to the sub-control unit or the main control unit, a bus arbitration circuit, and an internal module bus selecting unit having a bypass selector for bypassing the bus arbitration circuit. The main control unit predicts the load on a system at the start of the system from the information stored in the incorporated line card, and determines, considering the prediction result, whether the control is made by the sub-control unit or the main control unit, for each module of each line card.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are presented for supporting the transmission of variable-rate vocoder frames over non-compatible communication channels. Variable-rate vocoder frames are reformatted as cargo in multi-rate vocoder frames. At the receiver, a determination is made as to whether a received multi-rate vocoder frame carries a variable-rate vocoder frame cargo. If a variable-rate vocoder frame is cargo, then a determination of the frame type is made. Various embodiments for conveying cargo information are presented.

Abstract: A protocol independent hub includes a controller allowing for programmable configuration and testing of ports of the hub. Separate programming and testing of each of the ports provides an interface having any protocol to any protocol connectivity. Each of the ports of the protocol independent hub is configured for selectable operation in connection with one of a plurality of network types, with each of the plurality of ports independently programmable for operation in connection with the selected network type.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a novel scalable packet-switched network routing method and system that utilizes modified traffic engineering mechanisms to prioritize tunnel traffic and non-tunnel traffic.

Abstract: A system and method for partitioning a bandwidth of a single channel among plural multimedia streams in a time varying manner. The partitioning is undertaken by dynamically establishing first and second bit rates respectively associated with first and second multimedia streams.

Abstract: A communication transaction or use case is broken down into constituent parts having different class of service (COS) requirements. The parts are matched to different links or channels having respective COS characteristics and communicated over the links or channels, and then aggregated at the receiver.

Abstract: To control links in a communication system, a message having information about the transmission format is transmitted in response to a link request. After the determination of if sufficient transmission capacity is available for this transmission format, link data and priority attributes are used to check if an existing link can be stopped in favor of the desired link.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatic network optimization with application variables are provided. Operation of a protocol stack, such as an SCP stack, relies upon a number of persistent variables, which are remembered over power and reset cycles, used in connection with controlling protocol timing and behavior. These application variables are handled at the network layer of the protocol and may be assigned values by an address space arbitrator, which is an entity responsible for managing the logical network. Each node member of a logical network maintains a set of values for its application variables. This set can be handled by the protocol's network layer, and can be saved in persisted storage. Since the variable values may be modified asynchronously, they are treated as volatile and thus, when a variable is used, its value is obtained through an application interface exposed by a network layer, e.g., through polling.

Abstract: A communication processor of a class, such as an Internet tuner, provides such desirable features (FIG. 2) as LAN support, an SPI interface (128), a dedicated port (56), and ADPCM (22) for audio applications. The invention provides a low-cost, low-power, easily manufactured, small form-factor network access module which has a low memory demand and provides a highly efficient protocol decode. The invention comprises a hardware-integrated system that both decodes multiple network protocols in a streaming manner concurrently and processes packet data in one pass, thereby reducing system memory and form factor requirements, while also eliminating software CPU overhead.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for creating a virtual hierarchical local area network. The method and apparatus provide a hierarchical framing technique that allows a network architecture to realize a local area network hierarchy within the network. In this manner, a first local area network hierarchy is defined by communication in a first frame format between a first set of network devices and a second set of network devices. A second local area network hierarchy is defined by communication in a second frame format between members of the second set of network devices. The second frame format includes the fields of a frame in the first frame format that is used to communicate between the first set of communication devices and the second set of communication devices.

Abstract: The real-time reassembly of data received over an ATM network is enabled by a system including two digital memories, means for indicating one of the two memories as a process memory and another one of the two memories as a storage memory, a buffer memory, means for processing the digital contents of a cell stored in the process memory, and means for storing digital contents of a subsequent cell in the storage memory. In operation of the system, the processing of the contents of the process memory is completed prior to completion of the receiving and storing of the contents of the subsequent cell in the storage memory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting and synchronising packets of data with a repeated sequence as a pilot symbol received by a communications system are provided. The method and apparatus include receiving data, detecting a packet within the received data, producing an estimate of the time-varying frequency offset of the received data, estimating the start of the packet of the received data, estimating the time-varying phase offset of the received data and estimating the time-varying time offset of the received data. Methods for assessing each one of the time-varying frequency offset, the time-varying phase offset, the time-varying time offset and the start of packet are also provided.

Abstract: Methods and systems for universal, automatic service selection are disclosed. A method for universal, automatic service selection includes receiving signaling messages and identifying signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages from the signaling messages. The SCCP messages are decoded to extract SCCP parameters and application layer parameters from the messages. A routing address translation service is selected for each of the SCCP messages based on application identifiers that identify application layer message types alone or in combination with other parameters. Selecting the routing address translation service in this manner makes the service selection more robust and universally applicable, especially in networks where different or non-standard selector parameters are utilized.

Abstract: A method for providing and transmitting data in a data transmission system by transmitting several data blocks from a data-transmitting device to terminals. Before transmission of the data to the terminals an interleaving process of at least two data blocks is conducted. For the purpose of interleaving for each data unit of the data blocks, a transmission time is established with the help of an algorithm in such a way that for the transmission of k time critical data blocks with k=2, 3, 4, . . . and for one non-time critical data block, the transmission times of the data units of each time critical data block are respectively set at a fraction 1/k of the transmission time of the non-critical data block.

Abstract: A circuit for control and observation of a scan chain. The circuit comprises a group of first scan cells connected in series, receiving a first data signal and outputting a second data signal, a multiplexer receiving the first and second data signal, and selectively outputting the first and second data signal in response to a selection signal, and a group of second scan cells connected in series, receiving the first or second data signal from the multiplexer, and outputting a third data signal.